From war to faith: Don McCullin fights for a new cause

With more than 40 years' experience of covering brutal conflicts, one might have expected Don McCullin to have had enough of religion. "I've seen religion fail in all sorts of ways," the renowned photographer said.

"I've seen the worst possible examples of how religion can go wrong. But at the same time I see something dramatically wrong happening in Britain and that is our own lack of faith. We need to have a little bit more faith in each other."

The photographs on this page are part of Faith Through a Lens, a competition launched by church insurer Congregational & General – and judged by McCullin – to uncover nationwide personal experiences of faith in the community.

The winner, announced last night at the Whitechapel Gallery in London, was a portrait by Anthony Jarman of an elderly woman holding her grandson after the Haiti earthquake.

It is an image McCullin, above, would be more than familiar with. "The only time I've prayed is during the heat of a battle when I was utterly convinced I was about to pop it," he said. "I always felt a little bit Judas-like afterwards, but it's something that just happens."